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Disney and Philips Partner to Improve MRI Exams for Children

For the first time in its history, Disney will collaborate as part of a clinical research project. Children who undergo MRI might soon experience custom-made animation, including specially made Disney stories within Philips Ambient Experience. This solution integrates architecture and design to enable technologies such as dynamic lighting, video projections, and sound to create a relaxing atmosphere.

Six hospitals across Europe have been selected to begin trials this summer; the results will be compiled and released in the fall or winter. Philips will test its Ambient Experience program using animated stories showcasing some of Disney’s most beloved characters. Disney animators will create six pieces of original, stylized Disney animation for use in hospitals. The idea is aimed at reducing fear and anxiety often felt by children who undergo MRI.

Well-known characters such as Mickey Mouse, Ariel, and those from Marvel’s Avengers, Star Wars, and others will appear in a diagnostic setting for the first time. The results from the six leading hospitals in Europe will be analyzed to alleviate children’s anxiety, create bonds, and improve staff’s ability to carry out their MRI-related tasks.

MRI scans and other medical exams can be challenging for some adults, and especially for children who are anxious, claustrophobic, or naturally wiggly. The Philips Ambient Experience currently has 2,000 installations worldwide. Its goal is to mitigate those difficulties by creating an engaging, multi-sensory imaging environment that is welcoming and relaxing for children and adults alike.

Patients can select a theme of their choice, personalizing the room’s lighting, video, and sound. Ambient Experience Patient In-bore Connect supports feelings of empowerment and control, as it lets patients relax, follow directions, and minimize motion once they are within the MRI. For younger pediatric patients, this is important to explain scan duration, helping them remain still, and reduces the need for repeat scans.

This new collaboration unifies Philips’ vast clinical knowledge and expertise with Disney’s masterful, engaging storytelling. A sense of familiarity, control, and comfort will surely result from the joint effort.

Jan Koeppen, President, The Walt Disney Company, EMEA, said, “At Disney, we look forward to complementing Philips’ MRI experience with our stories and characters. We are excited to see the results of the clinical research and to quantify the impact our characters can have in this environment.”

Through Aladdin and Jasmine on a magical carpet ride or Spiderman carefully swinging through skyscrapers, each story is customized and designed to support children in their MRI experience.

RadParts is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts. We specialize in low-cost parts for repairing linear accelerator and radiation equipment. Our mission is to provide high-quality, user-friendly, low-cost parts and support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Contact RadParts at 877-704-3838 or visit us on the web: https://www.radparts.com.

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.

COVID-19’s Body Self-Attack is Evident through Imaging

Recent radiology findings published in Skeletal Radiology by a Northwestern Medicine team pinpointed the causes of COVID-19 symptoms. CT, MRI, and ultrasound images unmask the virus’ pathways within the body and how it prompts the immune system to attack itself.

Sore muscles and achy joints are common symptoms of COVID-19 in some people. For others, the virus can spark otherwise dormant (or managed) rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune myositis, or swollen and discolored toes, called “COVID toes.”

Corresponding author Swati Deshmukh, M.D., assistant professor of radiology at Northwestern University Feinburg School of Medicine, said, “We’ve realized that the COVID virus can trigger the body to attack itself in different ways, which may lead to rheumatological issues that require lifelong management. Many patients with COVID-related musculoskeletal disorders recover, but for some individuals, their symptoms become serious, impacting the quality of their life, which leads them to seek medical attention and imaging.”

Patients admitted to Northwestern Memorial Hospital between May 2020 and December 2020 were examined with CT, MRI, and ultrasound. Their results were analyzed and used to discover why certain people have lingering musculoskeletal symptoms post-COVID-19.

Edema, inflammatory changes in tissues, hematomas, and gangrene were all expressed in the patients; additionally, some images showed enlarged nerves which indicate injury or blood clots.

With these scans, radiologists can better direct patient care by steering them to a rheumatologist or dermatologist for further treatment. Radiologists could also suggest a COVID-19 diagnosis in patients who might have been unaware they had the virus. Overall, radiologists can use this information to improve patient outcomes. If a radiologist is familiar with the rheumatoid arthritis-prompting effects of COVID-19, they can send a patient with visible joint inflammation to a rheumatologist for further evaluation.

The study explores several types of musculoskeletal abnormalities, including visual samples of what radiologists should look for. Imaging providers should be alert and note the likelihood that pertinent findings are lurking in those images. This was (and is) not standard practice, because many radiologists were unsure what they were looking for. Now, with the results from this study, there is a clearer picture and understanding of the COVID-19’s progression.

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.

Researchers Better Understand Sleep Patterns with MRI

Stages of deep sleep can significantly change our consciousness, just as it does in a coma or under anesthesia. Scientists have hypothesized that brain activity declines when we sleep, using research conducted with electroencephalography (EEG), a process that uses electrodes placed along a patient’s scalp to measure brain activity.

Anjali Tarun, a doctoral assistant at EPFL’s Medical Image Processing Laboratory within the School of Engineering, decided to investigate brain activity during sleep using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI.) Dimitri Van De Ville, lab lead, said, “MRI scans measure neural activity by providing important information in addition to EEGs.” Tarun used EEG to identify when study patients fell asleep, pinpointing the individual sleep stages. The MRI images were later used to produce spatial maps of neural activity, specifying brain states.

Deep sleep is reasonably challenging to achieve while undergoing an MRI, as the machines are quite noisy. Despite the hurdle, Tarun was able to leverage simultaneous MRI and EEG data from roughly thirty people. “Two hours is a relatively long time, meaning we were able to obtain a set of rare, reliable data,” she said. “MRIs carried out while a patient is performing a cognitive task usually last around 10 to 30 minutes.”

The data Tarun collected was surprising. “We calculated exactly how many times networks made up of different parts of the brain became active during each stage of sleep. We discovered that during light stages of sleep – that is, between when you fall asleep and when you enter a state of deep sleep – overall brain activity decreases. But communication among different parts of the brain becomes much more dynamic. We think that’s due to the instability of brain states during this phase.”

Van De Ville said, “What really surprised us in all of this was the resulting paradox. During the transition phase from light to deep sleep, local brain activity increased and mutual interaction decreased. This indicates the inability of brain networks to synchronize.”

Neural networks might be linked to our introspection process, memory, and spontaneous thoughts, all associated with consciousness. “We saw that the network between the anterior and posterior regions broke down, and this became increasingly pronounced with increasing sleep depth. A similar breakdown in neural networks was also observed in the cerebellum, which is typically associated with motor control.” At this point, the researchers aren’t sure why this happens; their findings are a novel step toward a better understanding of our sleep consciousness.

“Our findings show that consciousness is the result of interactions between different brain regions, and not in localized brain activity. By studying how our state of consciousness is altered during different stages of sleep, and what that means in terms of brain network activity, we can better understand and account for the wide range of brain functions that characterize us as human beings,” said Tarun.

For further reading, find the original article from EPFL.

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.

MRI Providers: Watch for Patients with Metal Face Masks & Magnetic Eyelashes

Technologists are well-aware of the possibility of metal burns from MRI machines. Due to the components of an MRI, all metal must be removed prior to patients entering Zone III, the space before entering the scanner room. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the world to wear face masks in public indoor areas, including medical procedures. Also, of recent fashion trends, women have become more prone to use magnetic eyelashes, a beauty product that is easier to apply and remove. Both have resulted in MRI patient injuries.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a statement warning health care providers that patients might be injured if they wear face masks with metal parts during a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) exam. These small metal parts are usually found within the nose area or throughout the mask fabric. Nose clips, wires, ultrafine particles, or antimicrobial coating (silver or copper) can become hot and burn MRI patients.

This note of caution comes as a patient received burns from donning a face mask during an MRI. “The FDA is reminding patients and providers that patients should not wear any metal during an MRI,” according to the statement issued.

The Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics issued a report explaining how magnetic eyelashes are unsafe in an MRI; some lashes can rapidly become moving projectiles. False eyelashes are placed onto magnetic eyeliner (applied to eyelids) or discreetly clamp around natural eyelashes. Patients might forget to mention the eyelashes and MRI technicians might not notice them.

All medical providers should screen patients for MRI safety. Tiny metallic objects within face masks or fake eyelashes can easily slide past an initial assessment. If patients experience burns while wearing face masks, providers are encouraged to report the incident to the FDA. Gathered reports help the FDA improve patient safety.
For more information regarding the FDA’s warning, read the full report. The complete journal article pertaining to magnetic eyelashes can be found here.

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.

Technologists Celebrated during National Radiologic Week

Radiologic technicians have been on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic more than most people. These technicians have taken a front-seat approach and made a direct impact on the virus outbreak. They work extremely close with coronavirus patients daily, unlike many people throughout the world.

National Radiologic Technology Week (NRTW) marks the centennial celebration for the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT.) It also exhibits and honors those who perform thousands of X-rays, MRIs, CTs, mammograms, nuclear medicine, cardiac and vascular international, and ultrasound procedures weekly. The vital work of radiologic technologists across the nation are celebrated annually during NRTW. Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen discovered the x-ray on November 8, 1895, which is commemorated by NRTW.

More than 340,000 radiologic technologists have completed chest X-rays, CT scans, and cardiac ultrasounds for COVID-19 patients. These lifesaving procedures have been crucial in detecting and handling virus advancement. When dealing with pandemic patients, proper ventilation placement and ensuring patients receive appropriate care is paramount.

To learn more about NRTW, check out the American Society of Radiologic Technologists website. For more information about purchasing radiologic parts, contact RadParts for all your needs today.

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.

Problematic Body MRI Discrepancy Rates and Errors

Previous studies have outlined disagreement between radiologists and inconsistent secondary interpretations of MRI scans. Researchers at the University of Vermont and the University of Southern California Medical Center have recently published the first study to focus on secondary interpretations of body MRI evaluated by type of likely error. According to the journal article, up to 70 percent of body MRI interpretations have at least one discrepancy. Since most of these errors are cognitive, a push for sub-specialty trained providers to read these studies is crucial.
Interpretation errors, especially those in radiology, are particularly common with MRI scans. Pelvic and abdominal imaging are the most easily misread. These mistakes commonly lead to delayed or improper treatment plans. Discrepancy rates can range from two percent to six percent. Secondary interpretations can be as high as 56 percent, according to existing research.

Researchers retrospectively reviewed 357 secondary body MRI reports captured between January 2015 and December 2018 to determine the actual discrepancy rate. Initial reports were analyzed, and those with discrepancies were divided.

At least one discrepancy was identified in 246 cases, or 68.9 percent. A secondary discrepancy was found in 54 of those cases. Most differences were attributed to cognitive errors (68.8 percent), and secondary discrepancies, considered perceptual errors, accounted for 59.3 percent.
To thoroughly examine the reasons behind these discrepancies, researchers found that faulty reasoning (misclassification of the abnormality) was responsible for 34.3 percent of all instances, including 37.8 percent of primary discrepancies. Additionally, search satisfaction occurred with 37 percent of second discrepancies and 15 percent of overall discrepancies.

The team hypothesized that MRI scans were ordered to answer a specific question. Once that question was answered, the radiologist likely did not examine the rest of the scan for other abnormalities. The discrepancy rates are higher than what was previously reported due to several factors. General radiologists might be unaware of the MRI’s high sensitivity and ability to determine specific diagnoses. Body imaging frequently has the highest error rates, and double-reading by sub-specialists also increases the discrepancy rate.

Read the full article in the American Journal of Roentgenology for more information regarding discrepancy rates and errors. For all your radiation equipment repair needs, contact RadParts today. We have a vast selection of innovative repair solutions that can save you up to 50 percent or more.

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.

PET/MRI Outperforms PET/CT in Cancer Scanning

German researchers conducted a study in an effort to investigate the difference between combining Positron Emission Tomography (PET) with (MRI) Magnetic Resonance Imaging compared to PET with Computed Tomography (CT).

The scientists published their findings in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine, where they concluded that pairing (PET) with (MRI) is more effective at detecting lesions. This discovery yields a quicker, more effective use of centralized and whole-body staging in a single step. Moreover, it reduces the level of radiation exposure, making them ideal for younger patients.

PET/CT is typically the customary route in oncology imaging and staging due to its high sensitivity and resolution. However, PET/MRI offers higher soft-tissue distinction with lower radiation exposure. This combination has been prevalently dampened because there have not been enough significantly conclusive studies to exhibit both functionality and advantages.

The analysis was conducted by board-certified nuclear medicine physicians and radiologists who determined that PET/MRI made the process of discovering lesions and classifying them easier. Researchers noted that reduction in radiation exposure was perhaps the most significant advantage of PET/MRI over PT/CT.

Further studies are needed to improve the detection of nodules with PET/MRI; however, the scientists’ conclusions highlight the increasing potential of hybrid imaging with oncology diagnostics.

Read the entire study here. Looking to upgrade your linear accelerator or radiation equipment? The specialists at RadParts can answer your questions – contact us today.

AI-based MRI Interpretation Assistants from Siemens Healthineers Cleared by FDA

Two additional Siemens Healthineers Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based software assistants in the AI-Rad Companion family have been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). During Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), routine activities usually done by radiologists will now be completed by AI.

Brain segmentations, volume, and deviations are automatically marked by the AI-Rad Companion Brain MR for Morphometry Analysis. The AI-Rad Companion Prostate MR for Biopsy Support automatically segments the prostate. This process allows radiologists to mark lesions. In turn, prostate biopsies are targeted.

Peter Shen, Vice President of Innovation and Digital Business at Siemens Healthineers North America, said, “These new AI-Rad Companion applications for MR exams in the brain and prostate regions will help physicians manage their workloads and achieve a patient-focused decision-making process to increase efficiency and improve the quality of care.”

Various brain segments contain grey matter (nerve cells), white matter (nerve cell connections), and cerebrospinal fluid. The AI-Rad Companion Brain MR for Morphometry Analysis supports brain volumetry, which involves measuring the aforementioned segments. This process facilitates a comparison between normal volumes; any irregularities could be signs of Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, or dementia. Brain segmentation and comparison were typically performed manually or semi-manually before the new AI. Now, up to 30 brain segments can be read and then fed into a report where deviations from the norm are automatically marked.

Similarly, the AI-Rad Companion Prostate MR for Biopsy Support automatically segments and marks the prostate’s outer contour in seconds. Again, this process was typically done manually or semi-manually and could take several minutes. Radiologists can now read the report, mark suspect areas, and forward the results to urologists. The targeted, AI-supported biopsies can be precursors to cancer or other diseases.

Both software assistants are DICOM-compliant and can be used with many different MRI scanner brands, making integration effortless.

Check out this article for more information.

RadParts is the world’s largest independent distributors of OEM replacement parts. We specialize in low-cost parts for repairing linear accelerator and radiation equipment. Contact RadParts at 877-704-3838 http://www.radparts.com

Varian and Siemens New Partnership is Showing Many Benefits for Both Companies

This month big news has hit the medical radiation industry with the partnership between Siemens Healthineers and Varian Medical Systems. Although, according to the German stock market, little change has been observed with Siemens AG, and Varian has made it very clear that Siemens is ready to revolutionize the industry to a new set of standards very soon.

One of the most evident benefits is the strength in adding additional mature products and hardware to the already robust lineup that Varian is well known for in the market. In 2019, Varian’s business held 55% of the global installed base, and with combining the two companies, this move alone will create a product line no other competitor will be able to match. Secondly, the new joint plans will allow for Siemens’ growth to offset the gradual decrease of demand for its imaging modality business (MRI, CT). Lastly, as a company, Varian has grown to a size that, without further investment in operations and new market channels, would not be successful, so this opportunity will allow them to grow and remain steadfast in this sector.

The hardware aspect has gained the most attention with the real jewel being that Siemens possesses its software business, hitting almost $600 million in sales during 2019. Recent plans for Siemens have begun channeling its digital strategy to tap into the most significant challenges that most healthcare providers are struggling with today. This newly formed partnership will allow a radiation therapy linac fleet management system that no other vendor can offer or compete. Read this article to learn more about the three substantial benefits of this merger.

Huge Breakthrough Made in the Development of Creating the Worlds Most Powerful Particle Accelerator

Researchers affiliated with UNIST (Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology) have demonstrated, for the first time, the ionizing cooling of muons. For those who work in the field, this is considered a massive step toward creating the world’s most powerful particle accelerator. The new muon accelerator is expected to provide a better understanding of the fundamental properties of matter.

The Muon Ionization Cooling Experiment (MICE) collaboration has been behind the breakthrough, including many UK scientists. One of the pioneers is Professor Moses Chung, who leads his team at the School of Natural Sciences at UNIST. His organization’s work has been featured in the online version of Nature on February 5, 2020.

“We have succeeded in realizing muon ionization cooling, one of our greatest challenges associated with developing muon accelerators,” says Professor Chung. “Achievement of this is considered especially important, as it could change the paradigm of developing the Lepton Collider that could replace the Neutrino Factory of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).”

These experiments have demonstrated that the phase-space volume occupied by the muon beam can be controlled with ionization cooling, as predicted by the field’s theories.

Read more about this leading breakthrough in particle accelerators, here.